Alabama

Ed Christian was adjusting to life after Auburn football before shooting death

Ed Christian never played a snap at Auburn but was coming to grips with life after his back injury. (Photo by AuburnSports.com)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Life after football required a huge adjustment for Ed Christian, one of three victims killed Saturday night at a pool party in Auburn. A lingering back injury caused Christian to take a medical scholarship without playing a snap at Auburn.

Christian was very hurt about leaving football, said Kayla Timmons, Christian's girlfriend. He had a lot of time on his hands to not do much and didn't want to watch games on TV or in person.

"We would talk about it and what he wants to do with his life now," Timmons said. "After a while, it got better. We went to two games and he loved it. He got to cheer on his teammates and watch football from a fan's point of view, and that was really a blessing to see him be OK and accept that."

Those who know Christian, the son of a police detective in Valdosta, Ga., are trying to understand why the next chapter in Christian's life won't be written. Auburn police said three people were killed, including Christian's former Auburn teammate Ladarious Phillips, after a fight escalated into a shooting at an off-campus party.

"Three people told me Ed was being a peacemaker," said Mike Copeland, a high school teammate who plays at Florida Atlantic. "Ed and some other teammates were trying to break up a fight over a woman, which sounds like him. He was a big guy, but he was a teddy bear."

Timmons, an Auburn student who was in Valdosta Saturday night, said the pool party was a typical weekend event at University Heights, the apartment complex where Christian lived.

"What we've been told is wrong place at the wrong time," Timmons said. "It was a senseless act that shouldn't have happened. The guy never should have had a gun to shoot someone over a silly argument."

Randy McPherson, Christian's coach at Lowndes High School, said Auburn coach Gene Chizik told him Christian did nothing wrong at the party.

"He was a great kid -- a phenomenal person," McPherson said. "He's the kind of kid who wants to hang out in the coaches' office, always eating with us. He certainly didn't deserve this. Man, he's going to be missed."

Coming out of high school, Christian was rated the 34th-best offensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com. He initially committed to Florida State and changed his mind to play for Auburn as part of the Tigers' highly-decorated 2010 signing class.

According to Copeland, Christian suffered from a herniated disc -- a back problem that he complained about in high school. Christian redshirted his first year and tried to play again but Auburn doctors told him he couldn't, Copeland said.

Copeland recently suffered his own injury, a problem with his knee. He called Christian last Thursday for support and to check on him.

"He brought (his injury) up and said it's not the end of the world," Copeland said. "He was accepting it real well and focusing on school. He was taking a bowling class over the summer. I'm like, bowling? I told him I'll call him more often. I had to call and hear his voice. I didn't know that would be the last time I would hear from him."

Christian was majoring in public administration and had different ideas what to do with his life. At one point, he wanted to coach offensive or defensive line in college. Christian, Copeland and high school teammate Telvin Smith, who plays at Florida State, used to talk about coaching together one day.

Just recently, Christian mentioned to Timmons that he could become a pharmaceutical representative.

"Somebody had told him they always look for former student-athletes, and he could talk to anybody for a long time," Timmons said. "He could hold a conversation with even a stranger, no matter where they came from. I admired that a lot about him."

Timmons, who knew Christian from high school, transferred from Georgia State to Auburn to be closer to him and support his football career. They had been dating three years and were talking marriage.

"Not anything soon," Timmons said. "It was definitely in the future, way after graduation. To be with someone for three years and to have him taken away from you is hard. Other people were killed, and that's really hard, too."